


Azriel's Shadow - A Perfectly Aligned Story

by Rhysanoodle



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Perfectly Aligned, They get a kitten!, snuggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:54:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28230474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhysanoodle/pseuds/Rhysanoodle
Summary: A bit of fluff about Elriel getting a kitten set in my Perfectly Aligned universe(Can be read separately)
Relationships: Elain Archeron/Azriel
Comments: 1
Kudos: 40
Collections: Perfectly Aligned Stories





	Azriel's Shadow - A Perfectly Aligned Story

“Surprise!”

Well, the wriggling bundle of fur which had been thrust into Azriel’s arms certainly was just that. Even his shadows had refused to give him even the slightest hint as to what Elain was going to give him for his birthday this year.

“What is this?” he grumbled as it scratched at his leathers.

“A kitten!” Clearly, Elain had thought that this was an excellent idea … that he wanted some little useless creature to have to manage, as if he didn’t have enough to manage in his life.

“Why do we need a kitten?” He felt like he would regret this line of questioning, but he was just trying to understand.

“Well, I have always wanted one, but I got one for _you_ to keep you company!”

“I have plenty of company. You. Our family. Our friends. Why would you think that?” He had more company than he could even process how to deal with to be quite honest. It had become difficult lately to find enough time for all of them.

“You’re alone all the time on days when I go to the shop. You just sit around here—”

“Getting my work done. Just because I tend to work out of here more than the House of Wind doesn’t mean I’m lonely.”

“But just think about it! You’d have this little Shadow—”

“Shadow? You named it that?”

“Look how cute and fluffy he is! And he’s the same color as the shadows, so I thought it fit.” She was blushing nervously. Perhaps he should stop resisting this so much, but he’d never much liked animals. And he definitely wasn’t ready to take care of something which needed him to survive.

“Do you know how to take care of this thing?” Maybe if Elain took ownership, it wouldn’t be so bad.

“They’re easy. Just feed them, show them where to go to the bathroom, and give them some love and playtime.” She shrugged.

He just held it out at arm’s length, trying to reconcile this little ball of fluff with something other than responsibility and a monster who might pee all over his stuff.

“You hate it, don’t you?” Elain’s eyes turned downward, her brows furrowing as she drank him in.

Azriel immediately pulled the kitten closer to his chest. “No, no, no. We just need to get to know each other, right?” He addressed the cat, not sure exactly how he expected it to respond. It merely yawned before curling into his chest.

“Well, it looks like he certainly likes _you_ ,” Elain approached, scritching Shadow behind the ears and placing a kiss on Azriel’s cheek.

* * *

Elain had watched all week as Azriel had tried and failed to let her know how much he enjoyed the kitten. Only two days ago, she’d come home from her shop, exhausted from a long day full of interacting with customers and fulfilling orders to find Azriel bottle feeding the cat.

_You know he’s far too old to be needing that, right?_ Elain whispered to him through the shadows.

_He hadn’t eaten all day. I was worried, and he seems to like it …_

Elain rolled her eyes even as the goofiest grin flashed across her face. Whatever he wanted to make of it, the two of them had been bonding intensely, and she knew she had made the right decision.

He may have spent centuries alone, but that still didn’t mean it was a good thing when he cooped himself up in the house like this for long periods of time between missions. Training for a bit every morning didn’t count, and with Cassian in Windhaven and Rhys and Feyre dealing with a newborn, he usually just did that by himself more often than not lately.

This morning, she waited for him to fly back to their cottage, flitting her shadows across the floor and watching in delight as Shadow flopped around, doing his damnedest to catch one of the illusory slips of darkness. This little squirt was a ball of energy.

Her husband slipped in through the front door, glistening, hair sweat-slicked, giving her a soft kiss before alighting to the bathing chamber. This was Elain’s cue to get dressed.

_How has he been?_ Azriel asked as he slipped into the tub.

_As precocious as ever. Don’t worry, though_ , she reassured him. _I’m sure he still has plenty of energy left._

Elain got dressed, pulling on a pair of loose trousers and a well-worn tunic. It was time for a well-deserved day spent tending to her personal garden. The only downside to running her own store was that her personal projects suffered, which meant that today would be full of weeding and pruning until she was ready to drop. Bring it on.

She left Shadow in Azriel’s capable hands and went out for a day spent in the blistering summer sun.

A few hours into her labor of love, she heard the back door creak open and felt Azriel moving towards her, followed by a jolt of terror. Her giant Illyrian came bolting out the door, hot on the trail of a rogue kitten who must’ve slipped between his legs.

Shadow bolted over to her side, where she promptly scooped him up, giving him a gentle scolding which he obviously wouldn’t take to heart until Azriel reached her side.

“I think you lost something?” she said in the most mockingly innocent voice, as Azriel finally managed to school that flash of terror which had been set on his face since the moment Shadow escaped the house.

“I just wanted to bring you some iced tea,” Azriel said gruffly, as he fought to keep his guard from dropping in front of her. He handed her the glass, icy condensation immediately relieving her sweat-ridden palms.

“Awww. Shadow, you really shouldn’t give your papa trouble when he’s just trying to be sweet,” she chided before handing him to Azriel. “And why are you in nothing but those, not that I’m complaining.” Elain drank in the sight of the shadowsinger in naught but a pair of loose shorts, a thousand times more refreshing than the tea before her.

“I can’t exactly keep the windows open for a breeze with this little rascal around,” Azriel admitted. “I’m making due.”

Indeed he was. Elain wished she didn’t have to spend all day away from that view, but nature called.

Azriel sent a tendril of amusement down their bond, clearly privy to the direction Elain’s thoughts had taken before turning and making his way back into the house. _I’ll still be here when you’re done._

Elain’s toes curled at the promise, allowing herself one last indulgence of watching him walk away, Shadow flung lovingly over his shoulder. It was well worth the sight of his behind, gracefully hugged by the shorts as he strode back into the house.

* * *

Elain worked well into the evening, the sun having dipped well below the horizon an hour ago, before she finally felt content with her progress. Limping her way into the cottage, she smelled a whiff of something Azriel must have whipped up for their dinner, but she didn’t see him in the kitchen.

_Az?_

She reached out for him when he didn’t answer, following his essence into the bedroom. Elain let out a soft gasp when she found him, well them. For, snuggled in bed, were her husband and his kitten.

At some point, he must’ve felt the chill of the evening for he wore a soft cotton shirt now, as he was curled onto his side, an exhausted Shadow tucked into the crook of his arm. Elain stood there for a moment, breathing him in. He always looked so peaceful when he slept, as if the centuries of brutality and bloodshed couldn’t follow him into his dreams.

She opted to back out into the living room, to let them get their rest, but there was no way this image wouldn’t be captured within her mind forever. Perhaps she’d ask Feyre to paint it.

Yes, that’d make for a perfect Solstice gift. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face.


End file.
